Back to EveryPatent.com
United States Patent |
6,010,165
|
Santarelli
,   et al.
|
January 4, 2000
|
Door latch with child security lock and unlocking assembly
Abstract
A vehicle door latch mechanism includes a latch assembly, an inside latch
handle assembly, an outside latch handle assembly, a lock assembly and a
child security assembly. An unlocking assembly is disposed between the
lock assembly and the inside latch handle assembly. The unlocking assembly
interrelates the inside latch handle assembly and the lock assembly so
that operating the inside latch handle unlocks the door. This allows a
person to unlatch the door from outside the door even when the door is
latched and locked, and even when the child security lock is activated.
Inventors:
|
Santarelli; Pat (Pickerington, OH);
McDonald; Reginald Leo (Macomb Township, Macomb County, MI);
Gottschling; Eric Oswin (Sterling Heights, MI)
|
Assignee:
|
General Motors Corporation (Detroit, MI)
|
Appl. No.:
|
157667 |
Filed:
|
September 21, 1998 |
Current U.S. Class: |
292/216; 292/DIG.27; 292/DIG.65 |
Intern'l Class: |
E05C 003/06 |
Field of Search: |
292/216,DIG. 65,DIG. 27,336.3,169.11
70/262,263,264
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
4756563 | Jul., 1988 | Garwood et al. | 292/216.
|
5046769 | Sep., 1991 | Rimbey et al. | 292/216.
|
5054827 | Oct., 1991 | Konchan et al. | 292/216.
|
5100185 | Mar., 1992 | Menke et al. | 292/216.
|
5106135 | Apr., 1992 | Menke et al. | 292/216.
|
5277461 | Jan., 1994 | Dzurko et al. | 292/216.
|
5308128 | May., 1994 | Portelli et al. | 292/216.
|
5738394 | Apr., 1998 | Arabia, Jr. et al. | 292/216.
|
5762383 | Jun., 1998 | Gomi | 292/216.
|
Primary Examiner: Boucher; Darnell M.
Assistant Examiner: Walsh; John B.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Marra; Kathryn A.
Claims
We claim:
1. A vehicle door latch mechanism having a locking assembly and a child
security assembly comprising:
an enclosure:
a latch assembly mounted in said enclosure and adapted to latch under
predetermined conditions;
an inside latch handle assembly mounted on said enclosure and operatively
interconnected with said latch assembly to define a first motion transfer
path wherein motion may be transferred from said inside latch handle
assembly to said latch assembly, said inside latch handle assembly being
mounted on said enclosure for movement from a rest position to an
unlatching position to transfer motion along said first path to said latch
assembly to unlatch said latch assembly;
an outside latch handle assembly mounted on said enclosure and operatively
interconnected with said latch assembly to define a second motion transfer
path wherein motion may be transferred from said outside latch handle
assembly to said latch assembly, said outside latch handle assembly being
mounted on said enclosure for movement from a rest position to an
unlatching position to transfer motion along said second path to said
latch assembly to unlatch said latch assembly;
a child security assembly mounted on said enclosure along said first path,
said child security assembly being movable between a first position in
which said child security assembly effects motion transfer along said
first path, and a second position in which said child security assembly
interrupts motion transfer along said first path to prevent said inside
latch handle assembly from unlatching said latch assembly;
a lock assembly disposed on said enclosure along said first and second
paths, said lock assembly being movable between an unlocking position in
which said lock assembly effects motion transfer along said paths, and a
locking position in which said lock assembly interrupts motion transfer
along said paths; and
an unlocking assembly disposed between said inside latch handle assembly
and said lock assembly to move said lock assembly to said unlocking
position without changing the position of said child security assembly
when said inside latch handle assembly moves to said unlatching position.
2. The door latch mechanism of claim 1 wherein said unlocking assembly
includes an abutment disposed on said inside handle assembly and a tab
disposed on said lock assembly, said abutment engaging said tab when said
inside handle assembly moves toward said unlatching position so that said
inside handle assembly transfers motion to said lock assembly to move said
lock assembly to said unlocking position.
3. The door latch mechanism of claim 2 wherein said inside handle assembly
includes an input element pivotally mounted on said enclosure with a pivot
pin, an output element mounted on said enclosure adjacent said input
element, and an intermittent member pivotally mounted on said enclosure
adjacent said output element, said input and output elements and said
intermittent member being disposed in series along said first path, said
input element including said abutment, said output element including a
lever arm adapted to transfer motion to said intermittent member, said
child security assembly including a connector moving between said first
position in which said connector connects said input and output elements
to transfer motion along said first path, and said second position in
which said connector does not connect said input and output elements to
avoid transferring motion between said input and output elements.
4. The door latch mechanism of claim 3 wherein said child security assembly
further includes an actuator assembly pivotally mounted on said enclosure
and supporting said connector, said actuator assembly including an
elongated switch tab.
5. The door latch mechanism of claim 3 wherein said child security assembly
further includes an actuator assembly pivotally mounted on said enclosure
and supporting said connector, said actuator assembly including an
elongated switch tab.
6. The door latch mechanism of claim 3 wherein said output element defines
a first elongated slot extending radially from said pivot pin between a
first end adjacent said pivot pin and a second end remote from said pivot
pin, said input element defining a second elongated slot extending
radially from said pivot pin between a first end adjacent said pivot pin
and a second end remote from said pivot pin, said input element further
defining an arcuate slot having an arc center at said pivot pin and
extending generally from a first end coextensive with said second end of
said elongated slot to a second end remote from said elongated slot.
7. The door latch mechanism of claim 6 wherein said connector is disposed
through said elongated slot in said input element at said first end, and
through said elongated slot in said output element at said first end, with
said elongated slots being aligned when said connector is in said first
position.
8. The door latch mechanism of claim 7 wherein said connector is disposed
through said elongated slots at said second ends of said slots when said
connector is in said second position, said connector moving along said
arcuate slot toward said second end of said arcuate slot when said input
element moves from said rest position to said unlatching position.
9. A vehicle door latch mechanism including a lock assembly and a child
security assembly comprising:
an enclosure;
a latching assembly disposed in said enclosure and adapted to move from an
unlatched configuration to a latched configuration;
an intermittent member engaging said latching assembly and movable from a
rest position to an unlatched position in which said intermittent member
moves said latching assembly into said unlatched configuration;
an inside latch handle assembly and an outside latch handle assembly, each
said latch handle assembly disposed adjacent said intermittent member for
movement from a rest position to an unlatching position to engage said
intermittent member and move said intermittent member to said unlatched
position;
a lock assembly disposed in said enclosure and engaging said intermittent
member, said lock assembly being movable between an unlocked position in
which said lock assembly positions said intermittent member so that said
intermittent member engages said inside and outside latch handle
assemblies when either of said latch handle assemblies move toward said
unlatching position, and a locked position in which said lock assembly
isolates said intermittent member from said inside and outside latch
handle assemblies;
said inside latch handle assembly including an output element disposed
adjacent said intermittent member, and an input element positioned
adjacent said output element and said lock assembly, said input element
including an abutment moving said lock assembly to said unlocked position
when said input element of said inside latch handle assembly moves from
said rest position to said unlatching position; and
a child security assembly disposed between said input and output elements
of said inside latch handle assembly movable between a first position in
which said child security assembly transfers motion between said input and
output elements, and a second position in which said child security
assembly transfers no motion between said input and output elements
whereby said inside latch handle assembly cannot engage said intermittent
member to move said latching assembly to said unlatched configuration.
10. A method for unlocking a vehicle door latch mechanism where the door
latch mechanism includes: a latch adapted to secure a vehicle door when
the vehicle door closes; an inside latch handle movable between a latching
position and an unlatching position wherein the latch unlatches the
vehicle door; an outside latch handle movable between a latching position
and an unlatching position wherein the latch unlatches the vehicle door; a
lock adapted to move from a locking position in which the lock prevents
the inside and outside latch handles from unlatching the door, and an
unlocking position in which the lock allows the latch handles to unlatch
the door; and a child security lock associated with the inside latch
handle and adapted to move from a first position in which the inside latch
handle may unlatch the latch, and a second position in which the child
security lock prevents the inside latch handle from unlatching the latch;
the method including the steps of:
moving the child security lock to the second position;
closing the vehicle door so that the vehicle door latches;
moving the lock into the locked position;
interrelating the inside latch handle and the lock so that the inside latch
handle unlocks the vehicle door when the inside latch handle is moved to
the unlatching position; and
moving the inside latch handle to the unlatching position to unlock the
door latch while the door latch remains latched and while the child
security lock remains in the second position.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to vehicle door latches for passenger
vehicles and more particularly to door latches having a child security
lock.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Vehicle makers now provide rear door latch assemblies with child security
locks. The security locks allow a person to disable the inside latch
opening lever for the rear doors simply by moving a lever or switch. In
theory, this allows parents or other caregivers to prevent a child from
opening the door while the vehicle is moving, or at other inappropriate
times. Though the best security locks serve their purpose well, they may
frustrate the caregiver with inconvenience. Consider the common situation
where the caregiver has left the vehicle and the doors have been locked.
The child still sits in the rear seat awaiting assistance to leave the
vehicle. The caregiver cannot open the rear door from the outside because
someone just locked the doors. The child cannot open the door from the
inside because the security lock is engaged. The child may not be able to
unlock the door from the inside, depending on the age of the child and the
design of the lock. Thus, the caregiver must get the keys, open a front
door, unlock the back door, open the back door, remove the child, close
the back door, lock the vehicle, and close the front door. This scenario
can also occur in a truncated form when someone other than a child is in
the back seat and seeks to exit the vehicle against the reality of the
child security lock.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to improve vehicle door latches having a
child security assembly so that a vehicle door can be unlocked from inside
the door by operating the inside door latch handle.
A further object of the invention is to allow the door to be unlocked from
the inside without allowing the door to be unlatched from the inside. This
avoids defeating the child security assembly.
A feature of the invention is an unlocking assembly interrelating the
inside latch handle and the door's lock assembly allowing the inside latch
handle to engage the lock assembly and unlock the door when a person lifts
the inside latch handle.
With this present invention, the caregiver can simply instruct the child to
unlatch the door. The child, of course, cannot unlatch the door because
the child security lock is engaged, but the child can pull the inside
latch handle and unlock the door, allowing the caregiver to unlatch the
door from the outside. This saves time and frustration.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as
the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed
description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings
wherein:
FIG. 1 is gram showing the invention and its major elements;
FIG. 2 an exploded perspective view of the door latch mechanism;
FIG. 3A is a fragmentary side view of the lower portion of the door latch
mechanism showing the child security assembly, a portion of the inside
latch handle assembly, and the unlocking assembly, where the child
security assembly is engaged and the inside latch handle assembly is in
the rest position;
FIG. 3B is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 3A, but showing the inside
latch handle assembly in the unlatching position;
FIG. 3C is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 3A, but showing the child
security assembly disengaged;
FIG. 3D is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 3C, but showing the latch
handle assembly in the unlatching position;
FIG. 4A is a fragmentary perspective rear view of the latch mechanism
showing the lock assembly, the intermittent member and the transfer lever,
where the lock assembly is in the unlocked position;
FIG. 4B is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 4A but showing the lock
assembly in the locking position;
FIG. 5 is a front view of the latch mechanism with the enclosure partially
cut away to show elements of the latch assembly, the latch handle
assemblies and the lo assembly;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary front view of the latch mechanism showing elements
of the latch assembly, portions of the latch handle assemblies and the
locking assembly;
FIG. 7A is a fragmentary rear perspective view of the latch mechanism
showing elements of the latch handle assemblies, the lock assembly and the
child security assembly where the outside latch handle assembly is in the
unlatching position and e child security assembly is disengaged; and
FIG. 7B is a view similar to the view in 6A showing the inside latch handle
assembly in the unlatching position.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the FIGS. wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding
parts throughout the several views, a vehicle door latch mechanism is
generally shown at 10. The vehicle door latch 10 has the same basic
arrangement as the vehicle door latches disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
4,756,563 granted to Stephen L. Garwood and Jeffrey Konchan, Jul. 12, 1988
for a vehicle door latch, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,827 granted to Jeffrey
L. Konchan and Jiri Paulik, Oct. 8, 1991 for a vehicle door latch, both of
which are hereby incorporated by reference into this patent specification.
In one broad statement of the invention, the vehicle door latch mechanism
10 includes the major elements shown in FIG. 1 and described below. The
first element is an enclosure 12 for housing and supporting the other
elements. The enclosure 12 mounts in a vehicle door (not shown) opposite a
striker 62 that is mounted on the door frame (not shown). Next is a latch
assembly 13 mounted in the enclosure 12. The latch assembly 13 latches to
and unlatches from the striker 62 under predetermined conditions. The
latch assembly 13 and its parts are discussed in detail below in the
section entitled "Latch Assembly." An inside latch handle assembly 15
mounts on the enclosure 12 and interconnects with the latch assembly 13 to
define a first motion transfer path 17 wherein motion may be transferred
from the inside latch handle assembly 15 to the latch assembly 13. The
inside latch handle assembly 15 mounts on the enclosure 12 for movement
from a rest position to an unlatching position to transfer motion along
the first path 17 to the latch assembly 13 to unlatch the latch assembly.
Similarly, an outside latch handle assembly 19 mounts on the enclosure 12
and interconnects with the latch assembly 13 to define a second motion
transfer path 21 wherein motion may be transferred from the outside latch
handle assembly 19 to the latch assembly 13. The outside latch handle
assembly 19 mounts on the enclosure 12 for movement from a rest position
to an unlatching position to transfer motion along the second path 21 to
the latch assembly 13 to unlatch the latch assembly. The inside and
outside latch handle assemblies 15, 19 and their respective parts are
discussed in detail below in the section entitled "Latch Handle
Assemblies." A child security assembly 23 mounts on the enclosure 12 along
the first path 17. The child security assembly 23 moves between a first
position in which the child security assembly effects motion transfer
along the first path 17 and a second position in which the child security
assembly interrupts motion transfer along the first path to prevent the
inside latch handle assembly 15 from unlatching the latch assembly 13. The
child security assembly 23 and its parts are discussed in detail below in
the section entitled "Child Security Assembly." A lock assembly 25 is
disposed on the enclosure along the first and second paths 17, 21. The
lock assembly 25 moves between an unlocking position in which the lock
assembly effects motion transfer along the paths 17, 21 and a locking
position in which the lock assembly interrupts motion transfer along the
paths. This lock assembly 25 and its parts are discussed in detail below
in the section entitled "Lock Assembly." An unlocking assembly 27 is
disposed between the inside latch handle assembly 15 and the lock assembly
25 to move the lock assembly to the unlocking position when the inside
handle assembly moves to the unlatching position.
In a somewhat different statement of the invention, the vehicle door latch
mechanism 10 includes these following elements. The first element is the
enclosure generally indicated at 12 for housing and supporting the various
other elements. The second element is a latching assembly disposed in the
enclosure 12 and adapted to move from an unlatched configuration to a
latched configuration. This latching assembly differs from the aforesaid
latch assembly 13. This latching assembly is discussed in detail below in
the section entitled "Latch Assembly." An unlatching arm, referred to here
as the "intermittent member" 14, engages the latching assembly and is
movable from a rest position to an unlatched position in which the
intermittent member moves the latching assembly into the unlatched
configuration. An inside latch handle assembly 15 and an outside latch
handle assembly 19 each operate adjacent the intermittent member 14 for
movement from a rest position to an unlatching position to engage the
intermittent member and move the intermittent member to the unlatched
position. A lock assembly 25 is disposed on or in the enclosure and
engages the intermittent member 14. The lock assembly 25 can move between
an unlocked position and a locked position. In the unlocked position, the
lock assembly 25 positions the intermittent member 14 so that the
intermittent member will engage the inside and outside latch handle
assemblies 15, 19 when either of the latch handle assemblies moves toward
the unlatching position. In the locked position, the lock assembly 25
isolates the intermittent member 14 from the inside and outside latch
handle assemblies 15, 19. The inside latch handle assembly 15 includes an
output element 16, 18 disposed adjacent the intermittent member 14, and an
input element 20 positioned adjacent the lock assembly 25. The input
element 20 includes an abutment 22 moving the lock assembly 25 to the
unlocked position when the input element moves from the rest position to
the unlatching position. Finally, the invention includes a child security
assembly 23 disposed between the input and output elements 16, 18 and 20
of the inside latch handle assembly. The child security assembly 23 can
move between a first position in which the child security assembly
transfers motion between the input and output elements 20 and 16, 18, and
a second position in which the child security assembly transfers no motion
between the input and output elements. In this manner, the inside latch
handle assembly 15 cannot engage the intermittent member 14 to move the
latching assembly to the unlatched configuration.
The various elements mentioned above are described in greater detail below.
Enclosure
The latch mechanism 10 includes a three-piece enclosure 12 that comprises
plastic housing 24, metal face plate 26 and metal back plate 28. The
plastic housing 24 and the metal back plate 28 are held together by three
flanged, internally threaded bushings 29, 30, 31 that are inserted into
three holes in the plastic housing, then through three aligned holes in
the back plate and then flanged over the back plate. The metal face plate
26 has three bolt holes that are aligned with the bushings 29, 30, 31 when
the metal face plate is attached to the plastic housing 24 by a screw 38.
The metal face plate 26 and the metal back plate 28 have lower portions
below the plastic housing 24 that are held together by a flanged stud 40
that has projecting pins at each end that are inserted in holes in the
plates and peened or headed over as shown in FIGS. 2, 5, and 6, for
example.
Latch Assembly
The latch assembly 13 of the vehicle door latch mechanism 10 comprises a
fork bolt lever generally indicated at 42 and a cooperating detent lever
44 that are pivotally mounted on bushings 30 and 29, respectively, and
located in a chamber of the plastic housing 24 behind the metal face plate
26. The fork bolt lever 42 is biased clockwise by a coil spring 50. The
coil spring 50 is disposed in a curved slot in the plastic housing 24
behind the fork bolt lever 42, and it engages a depending pin 52 of the
fork bolt lever at one end. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the detent lever 44
is biased counterclockwise into engagement with the fork bolt lever 42 by
a coil spring 54 that surrounds the bushing 29 and that has one end
engaging the plastic housing 24 and the other end engaging an ear 56 of
the detent lever. The detent lever 44 engages the fork bolt lever 42 in
its unlatched position as shown in phantom in FIG. 5, and engages and
holds the fork bolt lever in intermediate and full latched positions
against the bias of spring 50 as shown in FIG. 6 in phantom and solid
line, respectively. The operation is explained more fully below.
Referring now to FIGS. 2, 5, and 6, the fork bolt lever 42 has a
conventional slot or throat 60 for receiving and retaining a striker
member 62, such as that shown in the U.S. patents discussed above. The
striker member 62 is attached to the door pillar to latch the door in the
closed position (not shown). The fork bolt lever 42 also includes a
primary latch shoulder 64, an intermediate latch shoulder 66 and a
radially projecting foot 68. The fork bolt lever 42 also has a plastic
coating (not shown) that covers a surface of the slot that is engaged by
the striker 62 for energy absorption and quiet operation when the vehicle
door is slammed shut.
The detent lever 44 has a sector shaped catch 70 that engages the radially
projecting foot 68 when the fork bolt lever 42 is in the unlatched
position as shown in FIG. 5. The sector shaped catch 70 positively engages
the primary and intermediate latch shoulders 64, 66 to hold the fork bolt
lever 42 in either the full or intermediate latched positions shown in
FIG. 6 in solid line and phantom respectively. The detent lever 44 also
includes a plastic coating having a slotted portion that provides an
integral bumper 72. The bumper 72 engages the bushing 31 to stop
counterclockwise pivoting of the detent lever 44 under the bias of coil
spring 54. This bumper 72 also absorbs energy and quiets operation when
the door is slammed shut.
The aforesaid intermittent member 14 engages the latching assembly and
specifically operates the detent lever 44. This intermittent member 14 may
be considered part of the latch assembly 13, or it may be viewed as a
separate item. This description refers to the latch assembly as the
assembly that includes the intermittent member 14, and the latching
assembly (not numbered) as a similar assembly that does not include the
intermittent member 14. The intermittent member 14 is located in the
chamber of the plastic housing behind the detent lever 44. It has two
integral pivot pins 74 and 76. Pivot pin 74 is journalled in a hole on the
detent lever 44 so that the detent lever rotates clockwise from the
position shown in FIG. 6 (and out of latched engagement with the fork bolt
lever 42) to a depressed position when the intermittent member 14 is
pulled down. The pivot pin 76 is disposed in a slot of a locking lever 78
so that the locking lever pivots the intermittent member 14
counterclockwise about pivot pin 76 when the locking lever is rotated
clockwise from their respective positions shown in FIG. 6 to their
respective positions shown in FIG. 5. This movement of the intermittent
member can also be seen in FIGS. 4A and 4B. The locking lever 78 is
journalled on the stud 40 between the flange 41 and the face plate 26. The
operation of the locking lever 78 is explained in greater detail below in
connection with the description of the lock assembly 25.
Latch Handle Assemblies
The outside latch handle assembly 19 includes a transfer lever 18. The
transfer lever 18 is journalled on a reduced diameter portion of the stud
40 spaced behind the flange 41. The transfer lever 18 has an ear 80 at one
end that is engageable with an integral, rearwardly projecting tab 82 of
the intermittent member 14 so that the intermittent member is pulled down
when the transfer lever 18 is rotated counterclockwise as viewed in FIG.
4A.
The outside latch handle assembly 19 further includes outside operating
lever 84 and a coil return spring 86. The outside operating lever 84 is
also journalled on the reduced diameter portion of the stud 40 behind the
transfer lever 18. It has a bent tab 88 that engages ear 80 of the
transfer lever 18 so that the outside operating lever 84 rotates the
transfer lever 18 downwardly when it is rotated downwardly about the stud
40. The outside operating lever 84 is connected by suitable linkage for
rotation by an outside door handle (not shown).
The coil return spring 86 is disposed around the stud 40 and located
between the flange 41 and the transfer lever 18. One end of the coil
spring 86 engages the bottom of transfer lever 18 and the other end
engages the bottom of the plastic housing 24 above the transfer lever 18
so that the transfer lever and outside operating lever 84 are biased
upwardly to a rest position where tab 84 engages the bottom of the plastic
housing 24.
The inside latch handle assembly 15 generally includes the input element 20
that is pivotally mounted on the enclosure 12 with a pivot pin 90, and the
output element 16, 18 that is mounted on the enclosure 12 adjacent the
input element 20 and the intermittent member 14.
In the present case, the output element includes two parts. The first part
is the transfer lever 18. The second part is the transfer plate 16. The
transfer plate 16 is operatively mounted between the input element 20 and
the transfer lever 18 in order to transfer motion between the input
element 20 and the transfer lever 18. The two-part output element 16, 18
includes a lever arm adapted to transfer motion to the intermittent member
14. In the present case, the lever arm is the transfer lever 18, although
the lever arm may take other forms and still accomplish the function of
transferring motion. The transfer plate 16 includes a projection 92 that
contacts the transfer lever 18. The transfer plate 16 is mounted on the
pivot pin 90 adjacent the input element 20.
The input element 20 selectively engages the output element in the
following manner. The transfer plate 16 of the output element defines a
first elongated slot 94 extending radially from the pivot pin 90 between a
first end adjacent the pivot pin and a second end remote from the pivot
pin. The input element 20 defines a second elongated slot 96 extending
radially from the pivot pin 90 between a first end adjacent the pivot pin
and a second end remote from the pivot pin. The first and second slots 94,
96 are of the same size and shape. The input element 20 further defines an
arcuate slot 98 having an arc center at the pivot pin 90. In other words,
the slot 98 curves like an arc having a center at the pivot pin 90. The
arcuate slot 98 extends generally from a first end coextensive with the
second end of the second elongated slot 96 to a second end remote from the
elongated slot 96. The second elongated slot 96 and the arcuate slot 98
define a single continuous hole through the input element 20.
The transfer plate 16 and the input element 20 are interconnected by a
connector 100. This connector 100 is part of the child security assembly,
which will be discussed in greater detail later in the description. The
connector 100 moves between a first position and a second position,
depending on the status of the child security assembly. When in the first
position, the connector 100 is disposed through the elongated slot 96 in
the input element 20 at the first end and through the elongated slot 94 in
the transfer plate 16 of the output element at the first end, where the
two elongated slots 94, 96 are aligned. The connector 100 connects the
input element 20 and the transfer plate 16 in the sense that the connector
transfers motion between the input element 20 and the transfer plate 16,
causing the transfer plate to move when the input element moves. But this
motion transfer occurs only when the connector 100 is at or near its first
position.
When the connector 100 is in the second position, the connector is disposed
through the elongated slots 94, 96 at the second ends of the slots. The
connector 100 is therefore free to move along the arcuate slot 98 toward
the second end of the arcuate slot when the input element 20 moves from
the rest position to the unlatching position. This is shown in FIGS. 3A
and 3B. This is a selectively engageable freewheeling type of connection
between the input element 20 and the transfer plate 16. The input element
20 will transfer no motion to the transfer plate 16 via the connector when
the connector is in the second position.
The input element 20 and the transfer plate 16 are also interconnected with
a coil spring 102. As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the coil spring 102
engages the input element 20 and the transfer plate 16. The coil of the
coil spring 102 centers over the pivot pin 90. One end of the coil spring
102 extends over the input element 20, while the other end abuts a flange
or projection on the transfer plate 16. The coil spring 102 biases the
previously mentioned abutment 22 on the input element 20 toward the lock
assembly 25.
The latch and latch handle assemblies operate as follows. When the door
latch is in an unlatched and unlocked condition, the fork bolt lever 42 is
poised to receive a conventional striker 62 that projects into aligned
fishmouth slots 104 of the plastic housing 24 and the metal face plate 26
when the door is shut. The entering striker 62 engages the plastic coating
at the back of the throat 60 and rotates the fork bolt lever 42
counterclockwise against the bias of spring 50 until the fork bolt lever
is rotated to the full latch position shown in solid line in FIG. 6 where
the fork bolt lever 42 captures the striker 62 in the throat 60. The fork
bolt lever 42 is held in the full position by the catch 70 of the detent
lever 44 engaging the primary latch shoulder 64 of the fork bolt lever.
Alternatively, the fork bolt lever 42 may be held in the intermediate
position by the catch 70 engaging the intermediate shoulder 66.
The catch 70 rides along the periphery of the fork bolt lever 42 under the
bias of spring 54 (FIG. 5) as the fork bolt lever rotates counterclockwise
from the unlatched position to the full latch position shown in FIG. 6.
During this travel, the catch 70 rides under the foot into engagement with
the intermediate latching shoulder 66 and then under the coated portion
into engagement with the primary latching shoulder 64. It is to be noted
that the engagement of the catch 70 with the intermediate latching
shoulder 66 is sufficient to hold the vehicle door closed in the event
that the vehicle door is not shut so completely that the catch engages the
primary latch shoulder 64.
The vehicle door latch 10 is unlatched so that the vehicle door can be
opened by operating either the inside or the outside latch handle
assemblies 15, 19 to pull the intermittent member 14 down from the full
latch position to the unlatch position shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. As the
intermittent member 14 is pulled down, it rotates the detent lever 44
against the bias of spring 54 from the latch position to the unlatch
position. The fork bolt lever 42 is then free to rotate counterclockwise
under the bias of spring 50 from the full latch position shown in solid
line in FIG. 6 to the unlatch position shown in FIG. 5 as the striker 62
is pulled out of the aligned fishmouth slots 60 when the vehicle door is
opened.
As stated earlier, the inside latch handle assembly 15 and the latch
assembly 13 define a first motion transfer path 17. One can initiate
motion along this path at the inside latch handle in the inside of the
door (not shown). This action will transfer motion to the input element
20. The input element 20 will transfer the motion to the transfer plate
16, which in turn transfers motion to the transfer lever 18. The transfer
lever 18 transfers motion to the intermittent member 14, which in turn
transfers motion to the detent lever 44, which may release the fork bolt
42. The first motion transfer path 17 includes all of the foregoing
elements 20, 16, 18, 14, 44, 42 disposed in series.
Similarly, the outside latch handle assembly 19 and the latch assembly 13
define a second motion transfer path 21. One can initiate motion along
this path 21 at the outside latch handle on the outside of the door (not
shown). This action will transfer motion to the outside operating lever
84, which in turn transfers motion to the transfer lever 18. The transfer
lever 18 transmits motion to the intermittent member 14, which rotates the
detent lever 44, which may release the fork bolt 42. The second motion
transfer path 21 includes all of the foregoing elements 84, 18, 14, 44, 42
disposed in series.
Lock Assembly
Returning to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the vehicle door latch mechanism 10 includes
a freewheeling-type lock assembly 25 for disconnecting the latch assembly
so that operation of either the inside door handle or the outside door
handle is ineffective in moving the detent lever 44. Said another way,
this lock assembly 25 is disposed along the first and second motion
transfer pathways 17, 21. Its function is to interrupt motion transfer
along both pathways 17, 21 when the lock assembly 25 is engaged.
The lock assembly 25 comprises the locking lever 78 that is pivotally
mounted on the stud 40 between the flange 41 and the metal face plate 26.
As indicated above, the locking lever 78 is also connected to the
intermittent member 14 by a pin and slot arrangement that allows these two
parts to translate motion and pivot with respect to each other.
The locking lever 78 pivots on the stud 40 between an unlocked position
shown in FIG. 4A and a locked position shown most plainly in FIG. 4B. The
locking lever 78 is held in the unlocked position by a coil spring 106
that has one end mounted on the plastic housing 24 and the other end
engaging a first detent notch 108 in the plastic locking lever. The
plastic locking lever 78 may pivot from this position to the locked
position. If this happens, the end of the coil spring 106 engages a second
detent notch 110 in the locking lever 78 to hold it in the locked
position.
The lock assembly 25 further comprises an inside lock operating lever 112
for pivoting the plastic locking lever 78 back and forth between the
locked and unlocked positions. The inside lock operating lever 112 is
pivotally mounted on the flange of the metal face plate 26 in front of the
input element 20 for unlatching the door. The inside lock operating lever
112 is pivotally mounted with some appropriate fastener such as a flanged
stud, screw, rivet, etc. The inside lock operating lever 112 includes a
first tab 114 that engages in a slot 116 in one end of the plastic locking
lever 78 so that the plastic locking lever is pivoted clockwise from the
unlocked position shown in FIG. 6 to the locked position shown in FIG. 5
when the inside locking lever 112 is pivoted counterclockwise by an inside
sill button or lock slide (not shown). The inside lock operating lever 112
further includes the second tab 118.
The lock assembly 25 operates as follows. When the vehicle door latch 10 is
in a latched condition as shown in FIG. 6, the lock assembly 25 is
actuated by rotating the locking lever 78 clockwise from the unlocked
position shown in FIG. 6 to the locked position shown in FIG. 5. As
indicated above, this can be accomplished through rotation of the inside
lock operating lever 112 by an inside sill button or lock slide. Clockwise
rotation of the locking lever 78 also rotates the intermittent member 14
counterclockwise about the pivot pin 74 that is journalled in the detent
lever 44 due to the engagement of the second pivot pin 76 of the
intermittent member in the slot of the locking lever. The intermittent
member 14 is rotated counterclockwise from the unlocked position shown in
FIG. 6 to the locked position shown in FIG. 5 moving the projection 82 out
from under the ear 80 of the transfer lever 18. This can also be seen
clearly in FIGS. 4A and 4B, where the intermittent member 14 moves from an
unlocked position in FIG. 4A to a locked position in FIG. 4B.
Consequently, when the door handles are operated so as to rotate the
transfer lever 18 clockwise to the unlatching position, the ear 80 simply
bypasses the projection 82 without transferring any motion to the
intermittent member 14. In other words, the transfer lever 18 simply
freewheels so that operating of the door handles is ineffective. This is
the manner in which the lock assembly 25 may interrupt motion transfer
along the first and second motion transfer pathways 17,21.
The lock assembly 25 is unlocked simply by rotating the locking lever 78
counterclockwise back to the unlocked position shown in FIG. 6 where the
projection 82 is beneath the ear 80 of the transfer lever 18 (FIG. 4A) so
that counterclockwise rotation of the transfer lever pulls the
intermittent member 14 and the detent lever 44 down to the disengaged
position shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B.
Unlocking Assembly
The unlocking assembly 27 includes the abutment 22 disposed on the inside
latch handle assembly 15 and the second tab 118 disposed on the lock
assembly 25. As stated, the second tab 118 is disposed on the inside lock
operating lever 112. The abutment 22 is located on the input element 20 as
shown best in FIGS. 2 and 3. If the lock assembly 25 is in the locked
position, the abutment 22 engages the second tab 118 when the inside latch
handle assembly 15 moves to the unlatching position so that the inside
latch handle assembly 15 transfers motion to the lock assembly 25 to move
the lock assembly to the unlocking position. In other words, the abutment
22 will engage and move the second tab 118 when the input element rotates
counterclockwise as viewed in FIGS. 3A-D, but the abutment 22 will only
engage the second tab 118 when the lock assembly 25 is in its locked
position and the second tab 118 is in its most extreme counterclockwise
(or left) position. In such a situation, the abutment 22 will move the
second tab 118 to its most extreme clockwise (or right) position. In doing
so, the abutment 22 will move the lock assembly 25 to its unlocked
position. The abutment 22 will engage the second tab 118 even when the
child security assembly 23 is engaged, and the input element 20 simply
rotates without transferring any motion to the output elements 16, 18. The
action of the unlocking assembly is best shown in FIGS. 3A-D. The coil
spring 102 always biases the abutment 22 (clockwise in FIGS. 3A-D) into
position where it will engage the second tab 118.
Child Security Assembly
The child security assembly 23 is mounted on the enclosure 12 along the
first motion transfer pathway and is specifically located between the
input and output elements 20, 16. As stated earlier, the child security
assembly 23 includes the connector 100. The connector 100 moves between
the first position in which the connector connects the input and output
elements 20, 16 to transfer motion along the first path, and the second
position in which the connector does not connect the input and output
elements to interrupt motion transfer between the input and output
elements.
The child security assembly 23 further includes an actuator assembly
pivotally mounted on the enclosure 12 and supporting the connector 100.
The actuator assembly includes several elements. First is an elongated
switch tab 120. The switch tab 120 is adapted to extend to a portion of
the door accessible to a human operator. In one example, the switch tab
120 extends through a slot in the side of the vehicle door (not shown).
The operator can engage or disengage the child security assembly 23 by
manipulating the switch tab 120. The switch tab 120 connects either
directly or indirectly with the connector 100. In this manner, the switch
tab 120 may move the connector 100 from the first position to the second
position, or the reverse. In the present case, the switch tab 120 is
linked to the connector 100 by a two-piece articulated assembly. The
switch tab 120 itself is mounted on a tab support 122. The tab support 122
mounts to the enclosure 12 with the screw 123, and the tab support 122 may
rotate about an axis defined by the screw 123. A connector support 124 is
pivotally mounted on an end of the tab support 122 remote from the tab 120
with a fastener such as a locking tab, rivet, screw, etc. The connector
100 is mounted on the connector support 124. In the present case, the
connector 100 is molded as an integral part of the connector support 124.
The connector 100 has a flared end or head 126 to maintain the connector
in the slots 94, 96. The tab support 122 is pivotally attached to the
enclosure with a screw, fastener such as a locking tab, rivet, screw, etc.
The tab support 122 includes a flexible spring tab 128 adapted to engage
the enclosure 12 to maintain the child security assembly 23 in one of the
first and second positions absent a predetermined force moving the child
security assembly into the other of the positions. The spring tab 128
includes a finger or nub 130 on its distal end to extend into one of two
indentations or holes 132 formed in the enclosure 12. The spring tab 128
biases the finger 130 into one of the indentations 132, and this
mechanical action retains the child security assembly 23 in one of the two
positions until a force is applied to overcome the force of the spring tab
128 biasing the finger 130 into one of the indentations 132.
The child security assembly 23 operates as follows. FIGS. 3C and 3D show
the child security assembly 23 in the first (i.e., disengaged) position.
The connector 100 extends through the elongated slot 96 in the input
element 20 at the first end, and through the elongated slot 94 in the
transfer plate 16 of the output element at the first end, where the two
elongated slots 94, 96 are aligned. In this first position, the connector
100 transfers motion from the input element 20 to the transfer plate 16.
As shown in FIG. 3D, the transfer plate 16 rotates about pin 90 when the
input element 20 rotates about the pin 90, and motion transfers from the
input element 20 eventually to the latch assembly 13 to unlatch the latch
assembly.
FIGS. 3A and 3B show the child security assembly 23 in the second (or
disengaged) position. The child security assembly 23 arrives in this
position when a force is applied to the switch tab 120 biasing the switch
tab clockwise as shown in FIGS. 3A-3D. The force must be able to overcome
the spring tab 128 to move the finger 130 out of the bottom of the
indentations 132. When this force is applied, the tab support 122 rotates
clockwise about the screw 123, causing the connector support 124 to pivot,
which moves the connector 100 to the second end of the elongated slots 94,
96. With the connector 100 positioned there, it transfers no motion from
the input element 20 to the transfer plate 16 because it rides along the
arcuate slot 98 in the input element 20, allowing the input element to
freewheel with respect to the transfer plate 16. The spring tab 128 biases
the finger 130 into the top of the indentations 132 to retain the child
security assembly in the second position until an appropriate force moves
the child security assembly 23 back into the first position.
Method
There is yet another statement of the invention wherein the invention may
be viewed as a method for unlocking a vehicle door latch mechanism. It is
a method of using some apparatus--not necessarily the aforesaid
apparatus--to unlock and unlatch a door having a child security assembly.
Thus, the method assumes that the door latch mechanism generally includes
the following basic elements. These elements may correspond to items
already described, but not necessarily. First is some type of latch
adapted to secure a vehicle door when the door closes. Next is an inside
latch handle movable between a latching position and an unlatching
position wherein the latch unlatches the vehicle door. This inside latch
is operable from the inside of the door. An outside latch handle is
similarly movable between a latching position and an unlatching position.
The outside latch is operable from the outside of the door. A lock is
disposed somewhere in the latch mechanism. It is adapted to move from a
locking position in which the lock prevents the inside and outside latch
handles from unlatching the door, and an unlocking position in which the
lock allows the latch handles to unlatch the door. A child security lock
is associated with the inside latch handle and is adapted to move from a
first position in which the inside handle may unlatch the latch, and a
second position in which the child security lock prevents the inside
handle from unlatching the latch.
The method includes the steps of: moving the child security lock to the
second or engaged position; closing the vehicle door so that the vehicle
door latches; moving the lock into the locked position; interrelating the
inside latch handle and the lock so that the inside latch handle will
unlock the vehicle door when the inside latch handle is moved to the
unlatching position; and moving the inside latch handle to the unlatching
position to unlock the door latch while the door latch remains latched.
This "interrelating" step may be accomplished in the manner set forth
above--i.e., by disposing an unlocking assembly between the inside latch
handle assembly and the lock assembly. Numerous other ways to interrelate
the latch handle assembly and the lock assembly will occur to persons of
skill in the art--ways both mechanical and electrical.
The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be
understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in
the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are
possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, it is to be
understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may
be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. Moreover, the
reference numerals are merely for convenience and are not intended to be
in any way limiting.
Top